Apadenoson, shown below, was first described as a pharmacologic stress agent
that can be used in clinical perfusion imaging techniques (e.g., for diagnosing and assessing the extent of coronary artery disease) in U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,771. This agent has since been taken into Phase I and II clinical trials. In 2005, Dr. Hendel et al reported to the American Heart Association on the preliminary results of 127 patient SPECT Tc99m sestamibi imaging studying comparing adenosine with Apadenoson using either 1 μg/kg or 2 μg/kg intravenous boluses of Apadenoson. The report concluded that Apadenoson was safe and well-tolerated and worthy of Phase III evaluation. In 2006, Dr. Kern et al reported to the American Heart Association the results of a Phase II study of Apadenoson, one goal of which was to determine an appropriate dose for Phase III clinical trials. Intravenous bolus dosages of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 2.5 μg/kg were studied. For a patients, the average peak velocity for coronary blood flow was shown to increase with a corresponding increase in dosage from 0.5 to 2 μg/kg (see FIG. 1). In light of this data, it was believed that Apadenoson would need to be administered on a weight basis, not a unit dose basis.
There are inherent limitations and opportunities for operator error when parenterally administering a pharmaceutical agent on a weight basis. This type of dosing requires calculating the amount of agent to administer based on a patient's weight, administering the calculated amount from a larger dose, and disposing of any left over agent. Thus, it is desirable and beneficial for a pharmaceutical agent to be provided in a unit dose.